1ST SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B)

1st Reading     Genesis 9:8-15

Psalm                25: 4-5ab. 6 and 7bc. 8-9 (R. cf. 10)

2nd Reading   1 Peter 3: 18-22

Gospel              Mark 1: 12-15

SHOOTING THE RIGHT ARROW THROUGH THE RIGHT BOW

Dear friends, today is the 1st Sunday of Lent (Year B). The Season of Lent reminds us of our humanness and thus tells us that "we are dust, and unto dust, we shall return". In reflecting on our lives, we are given the words of the prophet Joel (2:13): "Rend your heart and not your garments". In this season, we put ourselves in a kind of introspection to put things right with God and our neighbours. 

I think we should look at the first reading for this Sunday. It comes from GENESIS 9:8-15. This is a very famous passage in the Bible. Let us go a little backwards to uncover the whole situation. 

From Genesis 6, we start hearing the whole story about a man called NOAH and the issue of the Flood. In fact, the end of chapter 5 traces his genealogy and we are told that he had three children. Aside from that, Noah was "a man who found favour with the Lord" (Gen. 6: 8). We are dealing with a time when "the Lord saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil" (Gen. 6: 5). 

After the earth was destroyed by the flood for 40 days, a sort of spiritual cleansing of the earth like spiritual cleansing of our hearts in the 40 days journey of Lent, today's passage (Gen. 9: 8-15) speaks about God's covenant with Noah. This covenant will consist of a sign that "never again shall all creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood" (Gen. 9: 11). It is interesting when we consider what the sign is. It is a "bow", otherwise a "rainbow" (קשׁת -QESHETH). This is the usual rainbow that is seen even today. It does not mean that the rainbow did not exist before its usage as a covenantal sign with Noah. A significant question that comes up is: "Why a rainbow and not any other thing?

Let us look briefly at two dimensions/aspects of a rainbow. 

"A bow" normally is an instrument of war. We would often hear of "bow and arrow". In fact, the Hebrew word used to refer to a "rainbow" is the same word used to refer to a "bow" as an instrument of war. We see indications in 1 Samuel 18:4 and Joshua 24:12. An instrument that is meant for war, conflict, destruction and annihilation, is used to establish a Covenant, a pact, an agreement of peace. The implication is clear. In Lent, the weapons that break our relationship with God should turn into instruments of peace. Prominently, Sin is a weapon of destruction. No wonder, Isaiah would remind us that God can turn our sins into beautiful things, thus: 

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18). 

It is even the Lord who invites us to avail ourselves for such a change. 

We will remember these famous words: 

"They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4). 

The Lord invites us in Lent to turn our bows of sin and hardened hearts, relenting to forgive, and all others into instruments of peace. That is how Lent can be beneficial to us.

The second dimension of a "bow" is that, normally, as an instrument of war, the bow is turned against the weaker opponent. The bow does not face the stronger person, thus, the one who shoots the arrow. Looking at the "rainbow", it points towards God as the weaker one. Yes! The Lord takes the blame for destroying the earth. Similarly, God shows his merciful love by implicitly saying that he can absorb our sorry states. He can accept you as you are, only if you allow him to cleanse you. God takes the blame and allows us to shoot the arrow at him. The best arrow we can shoot at God through this bow is a repentant heart. 

That is what the first Sunday of Lent has for us. This Lent, consider changing an instrument of destruction into an instrument of war. As you do so, present a repentant heart to God because "a humble and contrite heart, the Lord does not reject" (Psalm 51: 19). This is the best arrow you can shoot through the bow.

Pax et Bonum